My Brilliant Friend: Adolescence: Chapter 36 Summary & Analysis

When Lenù returns to the neighborhood suddenly, her mother asks her if she’s done something to get thrown out of Nella’s house—her father, however, is thrilled to see her and compliments her on how good she looks. The sun has tanned her skin, lightened her hair, and dried up her acne. Lenù hurries out to find Lila as soon as she can—as the two embrace in the courtyard, Lenù notices that Lila has changed in just a month. To Lenù, Lila seems to have become a woman—a woman of “unusual beauty” at that.

Lila takes Lenù with her on a walk toward Stefano’s grocery. She tells Lenù that things are getting worse each day—just last night, she says, Marcello came over and gave her a ring. She accepted it in front of her parents, but before Marcello left, she threw it back at him. He threatened and yelled at first, but soon he dissolved into tears. Fernando and Nunzia cruelly berated Lila for damaging their futures by refusing a Solara—only Rino defended Lila. That night, Nunzia found Rino in the kitchen in the middle of the night, lighting matches and passing them in front of the gas valve. Lila tells Lenù that she needs to get out of her current situation but has no idea how—she begs for Lenù’s help. Lenù promises to do whatever she can.

Arriving at the grocery, Lila shows Lenù Stefano’s new car which is parked outside—it is even nicer than the Solaras’ 1100. Stefano, seeing the girls, peeks out and greets Lenù. He tells her she looks well and reports that he himself was in Ischia recently; though he looked for her, he couldn’t find her. Stefano notices Lenù staring at the car. He tells her he’s bought it for Lila, but that Lila doesn’t believe him.

Stefano offers to take the girls for a ride. He heads inside to put his apron away. While he’s gone, Lila confirms that Stefano recently told her that he bought the car “just for [her.]” He has been begging her to take a drive with him—but she has insisted upon waiting for Lenù’s return. Lenù tells Lila how dangerous it is to run around with Stefano given everything that’s happened with Marcello, but Lila insists that with Lenù present, everything will be fine. Stefano returns and welcomes the girls into the car. Lila sits in the back while Lenù takes the front. As they take off on their drive, Lenù feels calm and exhilarated by the wind—but soon begins to worry that Lila, in spite of the buffer of Lenù’s presence, is setting an “earthquake” in motion.

Stefano drives the girls out of the neighborhood and into town. As the three of them drive around, Lenù overhears Lila and Stefano having furtive discussions about Lila’s situation with Marcello—Lenù wonders what she has missed on Ischia and how many conversations like this one Lila and Stefano have had already. Lila jokingly reminds Stefano of the time he tried to prick her tongue—he laughs and insists it was another time. As the car returns to the outskirts of the neighborhood, Stefano asks about the shoes in the window, which he says are beautiful. Lila challenges him to buy them. Stefano asks how much they cost, and Lila says he should ask Fernando. Stefano makes an abrupt turn and steers the car toward the Cerullos’ shop.